Tips on Picking the Perfect Birmingham Party Venue

Birmingham may not compete with Las Vegas for the “Party Land” designation, but we do LOVE parties. Whether they be birthday parties, anniversaries, sales or award parties, Holiday Parties, or just a plain get together, Southerners are known to be very social animals.
Of course, most social events occur at homes, but when the event gets bigger, you need to choose a venue. There are plenty of options from church halls to community buildings such as fire departments or VFW posts, but most people would rather have a professionally run venue.

Cost:
The biggest consideration in renting a venue is cost.
Hotels can cost Ten Thousand Dollars just to start. Other venues that are not related to a hotel have fixed minimums of 10-15,000 for a Saturday night.

Restaurants usually require a minimum and typically cannot handle 100 or more people. And remember that they also typically remain open making you compete with the outside diners for parking, attention and even bathroom space!

There are actually only a few dedicated, professionally run venues in Birmingham. Woodrow Hall is one of them. And, because of our business model, we are one of the least expensive and offer a LOT more services and options for the same price! In fact, our newest restoration, The Magnolia Room can provide you with an up-scale, intimate banquet hall for 100 guests for hundreds of dollars, not thousands of dollars! Sunday nights, and weeknights are even less expensive… less than $500 for the typical party!

Service:

People don’t think about service when planning a routine party. Certainly a wedding is a different animal and people understand the need for perfection, but even a reunion needs the venue to provide well trained customer service oriented people to look after the special needs of every party. If you rent a venue, do you have a dedicated staff person who is available at a moments notice to help with an unforeseen need? Woodrow Hall and The Magnolia Room at Woodrow Hall will do just that!

Alcohol:

Many hosts would love to provide their own alcohol. But state law prohibits it in most cases. So, what alcohol packages are available. Most venues charge $20-25 or even more per person for an open bar. And for good reason! Most open bars pour a LOT of alcohol as guests release their inhibitions and drink on your dime! Woodrow Hall offers a variety of options that allow you to offer alcohol, but at the same time keep your generosity from being abused by a few. We also save you a LOT of money in the process!
Also, ask about our Signature Drink Package!

Space:

Many venues host parties that are crowded! They try to fit too many people into a too small space, with the result that is predictable. People bumping into each other, spilled food and drinks, you know the drill.

Woodrow Hall has two separate ballrooms. One can easily seat 200 people or host up to 350 if you choose not to have seats for all. The other can seat 100 people.

And both still have room for the band or DJ and dancing! Woodrow Hall was built in 1914 when there was no air conditioning… so people wanted LOTS of space! And we have it… (and we do have a GREAT brand new air conditioning system!)

Character and Charm:

Nothing is more boring than a hotel with a suspended ceiling and plain drywalled walls. Woodrow Hall has a century of charm and patina. From the original massive wooden beams to the exposed brick walls, programmable up-lights, soft overhead lighting, vintage highly polished floors, hand made accent pieces to the modern LCD projector and Plasma TV, we have it all! Attention to detail is important to us and it shows.
This charm allows you to show off the space instead of spending a fortune on decorations! We can have a custom slide show on the large screen as part of your theme.

Stage:

Restaurants and most Hotels charge you to erect a stage for your band or DJ or for your speeches. We have one built in… and it, like the rest of the building is just a few years shy of a century old!

PA system:

How would you like to spend $300-$500 to rent a PA system? Of course not! We have an excellent sound system that costs you nearly nothing!… Just ask!

Food:

Nearly 100 percent of the Birmingham Venues require you to purchase the food from their kitchen. We don’t. It is that simple!
If you choose to have a leading caterer or a pizza shop provide food, just do it! We do have a food prep area with a modern convection oven and a warming oven to keep food at the proper temperature. We also have a “staging and bussing” area for your caterer. We can provide you with glasses and dishes and flatware… and at the same time save you a lot of hassle on rentals and transporting these items. Again, just ask!

Parking:

Most Birmingham Venues have parking on the street, in a yard or a long distance from the actual banquet hall. Woodrow Hall has over 125 parking places adjacent to the actual building… no crossing the street or hiking to another county! And no need to pay for a valet unless you choose to!

So, when you are looking for a Birmingham Party Venue, ask plenty of questions, get competitive bids… in the end you will find that Woodrow Hall or The Magnolia Room at Woodrow Hall offer you the most for the least!

Call 205-243-4243 today to visit or to ask questions, or email Tazmine@WoodrowHall.com